In the production of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, it is desirable to provide a balanced ration that is high in oats and soy flours whereby nutrition stemming from a high protein content is afforded. Combining cereal flours in this manner and converting them to a toasted ready-to-eat breakfast cereal flake is enabled by the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,637 to Clausi et al. issued Feb. 18, 1964 for Breakfast Cereal Process. Whereas this process provides an improvement in the art of blending cereal flours and converting same into a highly nutritious oat/soy flake, consumers have objections to the product. Upon being wetted in milk, the product is inclined to lose crispness prematurely and when wetted become limpid; it is the principal object of this invention to reduce such premature loss of crispness while at the same time providing an improved sweetness impact. Moreover, such flakes under aggravated high humidity storage are inclined in such state to lose crispness retention as a consequence thereof such that a flake when wetted will be tough and inclined toward a soggy condition prematurely. A collateral object is to provide a coating which imparts little or no glossiness to the flake and thereby provides a wholesome, more organoleptically acceptable appearance.
To explain more fully, high protein content breakfast cereal flakes composes principally of oat and soy flours and which may be partially supplemented by other proteins that are lacteally derived, such as lactalbumin or sodium caseinate, have a less crisp eating quality which is attributable to the composition of the toasted flake. The oat content, which desirable will be in excess of 25%, characteristically has a relatively high protein content and also contributes a significant level of flour fat; the corresponding reduction of the amylaceous carbohydrate content in any such lightly fortified nutritious dough renders the dough when converted into a toasted flake less inclined to puff into a crisp desirably blistered flake like that of toasted corn flakes which are lower in protein and fat. Also, the toasted oat/soy flake typified by the product of the Clausi et al. process cited hereinabove, when wetted to a 4%-5% content by moisture pick-up during packaging in transportation and warehousing, becomes soft with lessened resistance to the bite with continued storage at these moistures; such flakes stored for periods say in the order of six months will, after absorbing sufficient moisture to reach a so-called critical moisture content of about 4%, change in texture and become limp even before wetting in the bowl; the fat in combination with the protein in such flakes renders the flake prone to a soft though continuous form; the high protein and fat content of such flakes as well as the relatively inert texture contribution of the soy flour and any optionally added lacteally-derived protein coupled with a significant reduction in the cereal starch content of the dough, particularly when quantities of sugar in the order of 15% - 25% are also present thus have an overall undesired effect on product texture. The ultimate toasted flake is less likely to assume a crispness that many consumers prefer. The flake per se is more inclined to lose its initial desired crisp eating qualities upon moisture pick-up.
objects of this invention are to slow the rate of moisture gain and afford acceptability at high moisture levels of such protein fortified cereal flakes and protract shelf life in the field without a sacrifice in crispness before and after wetting in milk and without need for expensive packaging material.